Sometimes the urge to change your hair is carefully thought out on Pinterest mood boards and stalking celebrity stylists to find your perfect cut or colour. Other times, it’s an impulse that you can’t quite explain, but you just know it needs to happen. Patty Uchi, the star of Hair Me Out’s newest episode, has been feeling that itch for something new.

Uchi, who’s had long hair for most of her life, says that her hair has always been part of her personality, but she’s ready for a change. “My hair doesn’t match me or my personality anymore, so I’d like to have that show,” she says. To achieve her new look, Uchi sought the help of Lindsay Victoria and Dell Miller from Spoke & Weal salon.

To start the transformation, Victoria, a 16-year industry veteran, cut off roughly 12 inches of her client’s hair using the dry cut technique. “I created some layers and removed some density so she can wear it at the centre or flip it on either side,” Victoria explains. Once her cut was complete, Miller got creative with colour to transform Uchi’s look. “I think it would be a good idea to do a warmer brown into lighter pieces to frame the face,” he explains.

Miller parted Uchi’s hair into small sections at the front of her hair to create bright highlights around her face and worked with larger areas in the back. Once her colour was processed, Miller used a toner to refine his client’s new shade and shampooed and conditioned with a colour-safe formula by Aveda. Victoria styled Uchi’s new shoulder-length cut into softly textured curls that made her new highlights pop.

“I like it a lot more than I thought I would,” Uchi says of her new hair. “I feel a lot more confident, and my shorter hair makes me feel like I’m ready for a new attitude to match my new look.” Click play to see her dramatic transformation in full.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?